During the manual dishwashing process, the hands of users are exposed to dishwashing detergents containing surfactants and other components which cause a loss of skin hydration and/or cause skin irritation. Consequently, many users experience skin irritation and dryness following the washing-up process, and often users feel the need to apply a soothing or moisturizing product in order to restore moisturization.
One approach has been to formulate detergent compositions comprising surfactants which are milder on skin. Incorporation of skin protecting ingredients into light duty liquid detergents is also known in the art, for example WO99/24535, WO97/44423 and JP 2005-179438. Other approaches have involved incorporation of active ingredients with a beneficial effect on skin sensation into detergent compositions, i.e. WO 07/028,571. However, given the dilute conditions often associated with dishwashing, the skin protecting ingredients do not always successfully deposit on the skin. They do not therefore provide the sought skin care benefit, unless used at very high levels which can compromise the high suds profile and/or cleaning performance required for manual dish washing detergents. This results in very expensive formulations. It raises as well processability limitations such as raw material and finished product rheology control and raw material incorporation in the product at desired active level within dosing limits. Therefore, there remains an unmet need for a liquid hand dishwashing composition that is mild and hydrates and/or conditions the skin in a more cost efficient way, and that is easy to process.
It has been surprisingly found that liquid hand dishwashing compositions comprising an anionic surfactant and a cationic polymer having a MW below or equal to 2100000, and a charge density above or equal to 0.45 meq/g, wherein such composition will have a coacervation index upon dilution of at least 2.5%; will provide highly efficient skin conditioning during the hand dishwashing process while maintaining the required cleaning and sudsing properties of the composition in a very cost effective manner and with an improved manufacturing processability. Such efficient and cost effective skin care benefit, is even achieved under the dilute conditions associated with manual dish washing, and in the absence of further additional skin care technologies.